NEW YORK — For the first time in a decade, sales of vaccines declined, Kalorama Information noted in a report released Thursday. A weak flu season last year was one factor that led to a 30% decline in the market to $19.8 billion in 2011, down from $24.1 billion in 2010. However, Kalorama projects that the world vaccines market will rebound — increasing at a compound annual rate of 8.9% during 2011-2016.

"What goes up must come down and so it is with vaccine sales," stated Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. "We should be clear that our estimate reflects overall vaccine sales, and these results mostly have to do with influenza and a few other categories and do not change the overall trend that pharmaceutical companies are heavily interested in vaccines as part of their growth strategies."

The report said that while sales of adult influenza vaccines had been strong in 2009 and 2010 due to government stockpiling — and in some cases, over-purchasing — of new avian and swine flu vaccines, sales have since returned to earlier, pre-pandemic levels. All of the major flu vaccine manufacturers reported significant declines from 2010.